There is a strong connection between the environment and economics. One of these connections involves global warming. Global warming has been a controversial topic for the past two decades. People with a sustainable worldview realize that the world’s increasing population will eventually deplete the resources that the world has, such as coal, fuel, and fresh water resources. This has several economic ramifications.
Global warming is caused by too much carbon pollution in the atmosphere . Methane and carbon dioxide keep the sun’s heat trapped inside our earth.. This pollution affects our earth by increasing its temperature. As the temperature rises, weather patterns and other natural processes are affected . The article, “Extreme Weather: Impacts of Climate Change” sheds light on how society can tackle the problem of global warming.
Use your promo and get a custom paper on
"The Connection Between Environment and Economics".
“There are solutions. For starters, we can cut carbon pollution by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and increasing our use of clean, renewable energy. And we can implement policies that help us prepare for flooding, drought, storms and other consequences of climate change” (Extreme weather: impacts of climate change, 2014, paragraph 5).
I agree with the “Extreme Weather: Impacts of Climate Change” article that in order to deal with global warming, we need to focus on using clean renewal energy, versus fossil fuels that will eventually be depleted. However, switching to solar power and electricity for main sources of energy costs money. The first step that is needed in order to enact the change of switching over to renewable resources, such as electricity and solar power, is to relay the facts to society. In the last century, the earth’s overall average temperature has increased by 1.4 degrees . Glaciers are melting faster, which increases our sea level, which then causes coastal flooding. This takes away the land where people and animals are living and creates overcrowding. The land taken up by floods cannot be harvested or used to house people. This creates more problems that need long term solutions, which impact the economy.
There have been more devastating tornadoes in the past few years. This has created much stress for many people, especially for leaders, such as governors, mayors, and local politicians who need to deal with the aftermath of these natural disasters and problems. People having to build new homes, putting people up in shelters or other houses in the community, and home insurance claims costs money, which affects the economy. California has dealt with wild fires recently. Global warming has not only increased the state’s temperature, but has also caused a massive drought for the past century. Laws limit residents’ daily water usage, violations resulting in fines. The extremely cold temperatures last winter greatly impacted the United States economically, resulting in freezing and bursting pipes, bad road conditions, and more car accident and repairs. Several North Eastern states also ran out of road salt, making travel even more dangerous. Automobiles also require more gas during frigid temperatures.
While it is important to switch to clean, renewable energy such as electricity or solar energy, it requires money. Currently, the world is run by oil and fuel, major money makers that makes change difficult. Many companies would take a major financial hit if the world switched to renewable resources. Some cultural groups depend on gas stations financially. How much money would Native Americans lose from Indian Reservation petroleum if there was a switch to renewable resources? The government would have to unite with electric and gas companies to figure out how to finance new alternatives to traditional gas stations. Global warming is major problem with potentially devastating consequences for years to come. We need to conserve natural resources some way and switch to renewable resources to prevent economic and environmental devastation.
- Extreme weather: impacts of climate change. (2014, January 15). Retrieved from Natural Resources Defense Council Website: http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/climate-change-impacts/
- Trimarchi, M. (2014). Top 10 Worst Effects of Global Warming. Retrieved from Discovery.com Web site : http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/worst-effects-global-warming.htm
